


The Playboy

by Chasyn



Series: The Butterflies [11]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Butterflies, Butterflies in your stomach, Drabble, Earthquake stuff, Hatred, Jealousy, M/M, Mentioned Abby/Buck, Short, Soulmate Symptoms, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Weird Series, You get butterflies in your stomach when you meet your soulmate, no dialouge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-02-19
Packaged: 2019-10-31 16:52:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17853482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chasyn/pseuds/Chasyn
Summary: He felt lost and broken and he hated the feeling. And he started to think Abby was right. There was no Butterflies. It was a stupid and childish notion. And Buck fell right back into his old ways, seeking comfort in anyone that would have him. But it was always short lived and he left feeling worse than he'd ever felt.And then he showed up.





	The Playboy

**Author's Note:**

> So... the Butterflies is this series I'm working on, where you get like butterflies in your stomach when you meet/realize someone is your soulmate. Here's the Buck part, and then there will be an Eddie part, where we see how Eddie takes it.
> 
> Also, if anyone is interested in keeping me company while I type (or just pestering me on a daily basis), I have a Discord chat server.  
> <https://discord.gg/JGgeWp3>  
> Chas#0048

Buck had never felt Butterflies. He believed in them, though. With his whole heart and soul. He believed one day he'd be blessed to feel the Butterflies and meet his soulmate. He was a hopeless romantic like that. And maybe a bit impatient. He knew you couldn't rush fate. This had been taught to him since an early age. You had to wait. But Buck thought that maybe, just maybe, he could encourage it along. If maybe he met a lot of girls, a lot of people, maybe fate would show him which was the right one for him. He'd heard people speculate before. Sometimes Butterflies didn't happen the first time you met your soulmate, like most said. He'd heard stories of it taking a few minutes with the person before the Butterflies appear. Growing up, Buck wondered if that meant they were shy or something. He'd also heard tales of the Butterflies happening after getting really close to someone. They just... develop.

As Buck got older and hit puberty, he got the idea in his head that sex was the fastest and easiest way to get close to someone. But Butterflies wouldn't happen and he'd move on to the next person. And then the next and next. Buck couldn't stop. Before he knew it, it was like he was addicted. Meaningless sex with pretty much anyone who said yes. And Buck started fearing that maybe _that_ was why he didn't feel the Butterflies. And maybe he needed to change his approach. Maybe he needed to just forget about the looming feel of the fluttering. Maybe they weren't real anyways.

And then he heard Abby's voice. And for the first time in his life, he thought maybe, he felt something. But having never felt anything for anyone before, he wasn't sure. He spent weeks talking to Abby every day. And every time, he swore there was something. And that something was quickly forming into love. And when they started meeting for real, he was sure. Abby was meant to be his. Except... Abby never mentioned Butterflies. She never talked about soulmates or fate or anything. And once, when Buck had tried to casually mention it, she'd laughed and brushed the notion off as childish and silly.

So Buck didn't bring it up again. He tried to forget about the Butterflies and fate and all that stupid romantic shit. And he tried to be happy in the moment with Abby. And it was going alright, he thought, until Abby's mother died. And she decided she needed to leave.

That was the last time Buck saw Abby. She left him and just seemed to disappear. Buck waited. He held on for months, with hopes and dreams of seeing her again. But she didn't come back. And he was devastated. He felt lost and broken and he hated the feeling. And he started to think Abby was right. There was no Butterflies. It _was_ a stupid and childish notion. And Buck fell right back into his old ways, seeking comfort in anyone that would have him. But it was always short lived and he left feeling worse than he'd ever felt.

And then _he_ showed up.

Eddie.

Everyone was talking about the hot new recruit Eddie. But Buck couldn't seem to focus. He could hear them but the words just wouldn't focus right in his mind. He frowned as he turned around, to see whoever this new _Eddie_ was. This new hot guy who Buck didn't need. Buck felt something, something hard to describe. If he was honest with himself, it was something he'd never felt before. Something he'd been waiting his whole life to feel. But _that_ wasn't on his mind. Because he'd given up the hope of feeling _them_. What Buck was feeling, he was certain, was jealousy. Maybe hatred. Because they did _not_ need this new guy.

And then the ground shook. And the feeling went away. Buck had more important things to do than focus on hatred of the new guy. Adrenaline kept him going, kept him focused, kept whatever weird feeling down when he had to go into the fallen building with Eddie. But he had to stick close to the new guy, they both had jobs to do and people to save. They moved together and worked well together. And Buck felt a stinging prick of worry every time Eddie slid across the floor or down the hall, anywhere that was just out of Buck's reach.

Eddie had a kid. He was a single father, he was all his kid had.

But that still didn't matter. That didn't change Buck's mind. Eddie still wasn't needed.

Well.

Maybe.

Eddie was kind, Eddie was smart. He was strong and when he smiled, Buck forgot the world for a moment.

Buck tried not to think about Eddie as the day went on. Several aftershocks were still wrecking havoc. He needed a clear mind to focus on work. But just as soon as they were done for the night, when the worst of the day was over and the next squad's shift was taking over, things around him began to quiet down. Literally. They were sitting around the table at the station for a moment, all taking a breath. Hen was talking, he could see her mouth moving. Chim, too. And Bobby. They were all talking. All except Eddie. Eddie was staring at him. And Buck could feel it again. And this time, he concentrated and just _felt_ them. And his brain could process what he was feeling. The fluttering in the pit of his stomach that wasn't from the fact that none of them had eaten all day.

 _Butterflies_.

And he wanted to smile. He wanted to leap up from the table and reach for Eddie, for the man he'd spent the past how many ever hours hating and feeling jealous over. But before Buck could move, Eddie was moving. Buck frowned, watching him. Eddie was up and walking, away from the table and away from him. Buck felt a need, a yearning to follow. He _needed_ Eddie. In that moment. He needed _Eddie_.

 _Kid_. Buck suddenly remembered. Eddie had a kid! Buck jumped up and followed after Eddie.

**Author's Note:**

> Up next, Eddie's part. Woohoo! Also after posting, I realized this was the 100th fic on the site. 8D


End file.
